Eyes of Gold
by Imalefty
Summary: Saito just entered the Shinesengumi and is on his first mission with a new found friend, Okita. But a mysterious Ishin Shishi man 'curses' Saito before he dies, leaving a strange golden ball in Saito's possession. What does it do exactly? Read to find out
1. The Curse

CHAPTER 1: The Curse 

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Saito stood, his back pressed against the wall, ready to unsheathe his sword. This was his first mission within the Shinsengumi, a group of highly trained swordsmen who fought for the Tokugawa Shogunate. He had to kill a group of samurai who were staying at an inn in the heart of Kyoto. They were members of the Ishin Shishi, the group that was fighting against the Shinsengumi and the Tokugawas. Saito glanced at another, fairly new member of the Shinsengumi, Okita Soushi. Even thought he was new, Okita was the leader of the first squad of the Shinsengumi; he was supposedly the strongest of all of the members. Saito inched toward the door, pulling the sword out of its sheath. Okita crept up to the door, also unsheathing his sword, ready to cut the thin shoji door down. Okita cast Saito a glance and nodded. Then, Okita sprang forward with a loud yell and slashed the door down. Saito ran into the room after him, hearing the yells of other Shinsengumi members on other floors. The attack on the Ishin Shishi had begun.

"It's the Shinsengumi!" one of the men sitting in the room gasped, reaching for his sword and fumbling to unsheathe it. Okita swiftly disposed of him and began to attack the others. Saito sprang forward with a Hiratsuki, making sure to do it just as he was taught. He felt it go into a body and the man sank to the floor. Saito's face twisted into an odd expression: he'd only killed one man before, and that was by accident. He had never intentionally killed a man before. The man coughed a few times before dying completely. Saito nearly gave up and ran out of the room at the sight of the body on his sword, but thought better of it. Saito turned to the two Ishin Shishi members at the far side of the room. Okita had his back, so Saito decided to just attack without hesitation. He charged in with the left-handed Hiratsuki technique and stabbed another man. He tossed that one to the side, then began to advance on the last one. He could hear Okita finishing the others on the other side of the room and decided to finish his job quickly. The man in front of him as thin and frail, and it appeared that he had never picked up a sword in his life. Although unarmed and against a member of the Shinsengumi, the man was very calm. 

"You're a member of the Shinsengumi, a Miburo," the last man said. Saito nodded.

"Yes, I am," he said. "And according to our laws, I must kill you." The man smiled weakly. 

"I know," he said. "And you will probably kill many more before this war is over." The man stood up and pulled a small gold ball and held it up so that it shone in the light. Saito slid into the Hiratsuki stance. 

"What I do later is not of your concern, sir," Saito said. "Goodbye." He sprang forward, driving the sword into the man's heart. The man held up the ball.

"Do you like this color?" he asked, completely calm. "It's nice, isn't it? Like the color of the setting sun. Like the twinkling of stars." Saito stared, mesmerized by the glinting of the golden sphere. Then, he shrugged.

"Why you care about my opinion, I don't know, though I must admit, it is quite nice," Saito said, watching the dying man carefully. The man grabbed Saito's hand and pressed the gold ball into his palm. 

"Then I curse you with it," the man mumbled. "For every man that you kill, a fleck of gold will appear in your eyes so that my allies will know who you are forever." Saito looked at the ball, then back at the man in disbelief. 

"My eyes?" Saito asked. The man nodded, using the last of his strength. 

"Yes. For every man you kill, a fleck of gold will replace a fleck of the brown that your eyes are now," the man repeated. "And the Ishin Shishi will always know you by your eyes." Then, he fell limp, a smirk-like smile plastered on his lifeless lips.  

"What was that all about?" Saito wondered, pulling his sword out and sheathing it. He examined the golden ball, then pocketed it. He turned back to Okita. 

"So, how was your first mission, Saito-san?" Okita asked. Saito smiled. 

"It was exciting," he said. "Will they all be like this?" Okita shook his head.

"No," Okita said, sheathing his own sword. He headed for the door. "The other two that I have been on have been in the day, and the men who we fought were a lot harder." Saito nodded. He thought about the events that night as they made their way back to the Shinsengumi headquarters with the other attackers. They arrived in a matter of minutes and Okita opened the door and walked casually inside. Once everyone was in, he shut the door and bolted it tight. Everyone retreated to their rooms.

"Goodnight, Okita-san," Saito said to the young man. Okita smiled and bowed.

"Goodnight, Saito-san," he replied, heading up the stairs to where all the leaders slept. Saito walked down a hallway to his room, which was on the ground floor. He slid open his door and walked in, sliding it closed behind him. He unfolded his futon and sat on it, pulling the golden ball out of his pocket. He stared at the ball in wonder, turning it over in his hand. It was smooth and not a bit of it was tarnished. It seemed to glow in the dim light. Saito quickly undressed and put on a yukata, tucking the ball into the folds of his uniform. Then, he placed his neatly folded clothes in a cabinet. He slid under the covers and blew out the candle, falling into a deep sleep. 

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A/N: Saito will be VERY OOC for the first few chapters because he's young and inexperienced. I mean, he just entered the Shinsengumi. Also, I don't know if he was the leader of the third squad when he entered, so I'm just saying that he wasn't. Sorry, history, you just don't play a big part in my fics. 

Ha ha… I haven't posted anything in a long while, huh? Well, hope you liked my first chapter. Any suggestions are appreciated!! ^_^

Also, thanks to everyone who read any of my stories. It's encouraging!!  


	2. The First Kill

**CHAPTER 2: The First Kill**

Saito sat on his heels at the table, waiting for his breakfast. The dining room was a very busy place. There were women scurrying about, bringing food to all of the men. The leaders were served first, of course. Then, it just depended on where you sat. The clinking of chopsticks on bowls filled the room, the calls of the chefs in the kitchen next door could be heard very clearly, and all the women seemed to be able to engage in conversations with each other and deliver food at the same time. On top of all that, everyone seemed to be talking at once, making the noise in the room even louder. Saito stole a glance at Okita, who was sitting near Hijikata Toshizo, the assistant leader of the Shinsengumi. At the head of the table sat none other than Kondou Isami, the leader of the Shinsengumi. Next to Okita was the leader of the second squad, Nagakura Shinpachi, and next to him was a man Saito didn't recognize. He assumed that he was the leader of the third squad, and next to him was the leader of the fourth Matsubara Tadaji. Saito stopped examining the leaders as a young girl, about his age, placed a bowl of rice in front of him.

"Thank you," he said, smiling at the girl. She nodded in reply, her silky black bun on her head bobbing, then hurried back into the kitchen. He turned back to his bowl and picked up the chopsticks that were lying across it and began to eat.

"How was your mission last night, Okita?" Saito overheard Nagakura ask. Okita finished his mouthful of rice before responding. "It went pretty well! It was successful, so I have no regrets," Okita said. Nagakura nodded.

"That's good," he said, sticking his chopsticks in his mouth. He chewed for a while, then swallowed and began talking again.

"Any newbies?" Nagakura asked Okita. Okita shook his head.

"Only one, but he was with me, so nothing could go wrong," Okita said. Saito stopped listening at that point. To think that Okita was only paired off with him so that he couldn't fail the mission. Saito frowned at his bowl. Just because he was new didn't mean he was stupid. He quickly finished his rice and picked up his bowl to bring it into the kitchen. He walked through the door to the kitchen and ran into the same girl who had served him earlier. She dropped the bowl that she was holding when they collided. Saito quickly shot down to catch it and just by luck happened to. He handed it back to her.

"Sorry," Saito said. The girl looked at him.

"Oh, no," she replied. "It was my fault. But thank you for catching it for me. Excuse me," the girl bowed her head and walked out. He glanced after her for a minute, and then turned to the washing basin where he rinsed his bowl in the soapy water and placed it onto a towel. Then, he retreated to his room, where he pulled out a book, which was given to him by his mother when he was exiled from his village for killing a man, and began to read it. After a little while, there was a knock at the door. Saito quickly closed the book and stuffed it under the covers of his futon.

"Come in," he said, adjusting the blankets to make the lump less noticeable. The door slid open and revealed Okita standing behind it.

"Hello, Saito-san," Okita said, smiling and bowing. Saito returned both gestures.

"You wanted to speak to me?" Saito asked, wondering why the leader of the first squad wanted to talk to him of all people. Okita nodded.

"We have a mission," Okita said. "And we want you on it along with me, my squad, and the third squad. Are you feeling up to it?" Okita crouched next to Saito. Saito thought a minute.

"Okay," he said. "I'll fight with you." He hadn't been assigned to a squad yet because of his newness. Okita gave a warm smile.

"Good," Okita said, standing. "I'll see you tonight at eight." Saito nodded. "Eight. Got it," Saito watched Okita leave the room and close the door. Then, he pulled his book back out from under the covers and began to read again.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

That night, Saito met Okita and the other members of the Shinsengumi at the door to the headquarters. Okita grinned.

"Good. Almost everyone's here," he said. Saito looked at him.

"Who's missing?" Saito wondered aloud.

"Half of the third squad, but it's because they got their dinner last tonight," Okita informed him. Saito nodded in comprehension. They stood at the door for a while until the other men came, then began to file out of the headquarters. They walked through Kyoto for a while, passing many dark houses.

"What are we doing tonight?" Saito asked. Okita put a finger to his lips.

"Shhh... we don't want our enemies to know we're here," Okita breathed the warning. "But we'll be guarding some top official for the Shogunate." Saito nodded. They arrived at a large, elaborate house.

"He's rich, I'm assuming," Saito whispered. Okita nodded.

"Now, the third squad will be guarding outside," Okita said. The leader of the third quad nodded in agreement and signaled for his men to surround the property. They departed, leaving the first squad standing in the bushes.

"What about us?" Saito asked. Okita hushed him.

"Be patient," Okita said. The rest of you will scatter yourselves within the house." He commanded. The men nodded and darted to the door where they unlocked it and scurried in. Saito looked at Okita for instruction.

"So?" he asked. Okita shot him a glance.

"Don't be so impatient!" Okita said. "We'll be guarding the master bedroom." Saito nodded. He made a mental note not to ask so many questions. They crept into the house and made their way to the third floor and stood by the door to the master bedroom. Saito looked at Okita, but stayed silent. There was no noise for the longest time, and the silence felt thick and heavy. Okita looked down the corridor to the staircase, almost expecting someone to be there, but there was no one. Saito strained his ears to hear some sort of noise, but the silence pressed on. The minutes turned into hours, and there was still no sign of an attack.

"You think it was a false alarm?" Saito asked, relaxing after realizing he had been tense for the past hour or two. Okita shook his head and motioned for Saito to be quiet. Saito glared at the young man. The silence was beginning to make him anxious. The night dragged on for a long time, when there was suddenly a yell.

"ISHIN SHISHI!" a voice outside yelled loudly. There was the sound of clashing swords, then yells of pain. Saito tensed again and put his hand on his katana. The men outside sounded like they were all fighting the hardest battles of their lives.

"DIE ISHIN SHISHI!!!" a voice screeched.

"KILL THOSE MIBUROS!" another yelled. There were more swords clashing. Then, there was a yell from downstairs.

"THEY'RE HERE!!" a voice yelled. Then, there was a shriek and a thud. Okita glanced at Saito, then said:

"You go to the east staircase! I'm going to the west!" Okita bounded off, leaving Saito standing alone. He gulped, and then ran over to the appointed staircase. He peered cautiously down it, but only saw black. Saito backed away from the staircase only a few steps, drawing his sword slowly. He hated to admit that he was scared but... he was.

"AAAAHHHH!" Saito heard a yell from the other end of the hall where Okita had been. He couldn't help but become worried for his friend's life. But he shook away all doubts of Okita's strength and concentrated on the staircase. Still nothing happened. None of the Ishin Shishi appeared from the darkness. Saito backed away from the stairs even more.

"GRRAAAHHHHH!" another yell came from where Okita was. Saito flinched. He knew that Okita could be getting beaten right now and he wasn't doing anything about it. He backed away form the staircase even more.

"UUUGGGGHHH!" another yell came from Okita's staircase. Saito listened harder, and then heard some coughing.

"DIE MIBURO!" a voice screamed. That was when Saito snapped. He turned from the staircase he was supposed to be guarding and bolted to where Okita had said he would be. He saw Okita, hunched on the floor, coughing over his fallen sword. The Ishin Shishi warrior that he was fighting held the tip of his sword at Okita's neck. Saito shot forward, knocking the man's sword away, and then killing him with a swift slash. Okita looked up weakly.

"Thank......... you......... Saito-san........." he coughed. Saito wrapped an arm around the smaller man.

"What happened?" Saito asked. Okita coughed a little more, then smiled feebly.

"Nothing," he said. "I just... came down with a cold the other day... and the strain from the fight... must've... sparked my... cough again." Saito stood up.

"Let's not split up now, okay?" he asked. Okita nodded, and attempted to stand. Saito helped him up, and then was hit with a jolt of pain right behind his eyes. He squeezed them shut and rubbed them with the back of his hand. Then, the pain stopped as suddenly as it had come.

"Thank you again," Okita said, picking up his sword. Saito nodded, still rubbing his eyes. "Something wrong?"

"No, nothing..." Saito said. "Just tired, I guess." Okita let out a squeak.

"No! We left the master bedroom unguarded!" he sprinted back around the corner down to where the bedroom was. The door was slashed down, bits of wood all over the floor. They both gasped and dashed inside where a red-headed man was holding a katana to the master of the house's neck. Okita darted forward, as did Saito but Okita, being the faster one, reached the red-headed man first. He reached the two just in time to save the master's life. Okita knelt down by the frightened man, while Saito and the red-headed man stared at each other.

"You're a Miburo," the redhead said. Saito nodded.

"Yeah," he said. They stared for a while longer, and then Redhead sheathed his sword and jumped to the windowsill.

"We should fight sometime," Redhead said. Saito nodded in reply, then Redhead jumped off and onto the grass. Then, Redhead bounded away with the remaining of his allies. Saito sighed, sheathing his sword.

"That was close," Okita sighed after making sure the man was okay. "That was Himura the Battousai. He's new around here, but rumor has it that he's the number one hitokiri in the Ishin Shishi." Saito gulped. It was a good thing he didn't know that before, but now... Battousai had challenged him to a battle! What could he do? He knew that his skills weren't that sharp yet, so how would he stand against the Battousai? Okita looked at Saito and, seeing his cold sweat, realized all that had happened.

"Looks like you got yourself a battle!" Okita laughed. "But you can relax! It'll be while until Battousai can find you again! You DO look like many other Shinsengumi members! He'll have hard time finding you!" Saito sighed.

"I hope so..." he said. He turned to look out the window and saw his reflection. Expecting to see his sharp features, the four wispy bangs that hung in his face, and his soft brown eyes, he was surprised to see that his eyes were now glimmering with a golden sheen. Startled, he quickly turned away, blinking. Okita gave him a look.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Saito nodded with a weak smile. Then, they walked out of the house and met up with the others to return to the headquarters.

A/N: Uh................... I will update... just give me time....

I would reply to your reviews... but a lot of them just say update, so.... yeah.... okay. Hope you like this chapter. I won't be updating for a while... so... you can tell me to update all you want... but.... yeah.........................................................................................................


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